Grouse

Fun Grouse Facts

Grouse are a common bird in parts of the UK but they are little known. Here are a few facts about grouse to get you started:

Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. There are many species of grouse worldwide, but only four in the UK. Black Grouse, Capercaille, Ptarmigan and Red Grouse

Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) are found in heather moorland in the British Isles – they can’t be found anywhere else in the world

The Red Grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage.

It is estimated that there are 230,000 breeding pairs of Red Grouse in the UK

Red Grouse don’t nest in trees, they are in fact ground nesting birds.

Strong father figure – while the female is incubating her eggs in the spring, the male diligently stands guard, he even helps feed and protect their young

To ‘grouse’ means to have a moan. We’ve no idea why. (Actually it's probably from a French word...)

Why we need to protect grouse

Driven Grouse Shooting

Grouse are known for being a ‘game’ bird, which along with pheasants and partridges, is a kind of bird used in the shooting industry to be shot for sport. The shooting of red grouse is best known for the Glorious Twelfth, the date in August on which the red grouse driven shooting season starts.

According to industry statistics an estimated 700,000 grouse are shot every year in Britain for ‘sport’ all over the UK. In driven shooting, red grouse are frightened from their heather homes by a line of beaters shouting and stomping to drive them towards eagerly awaiting men with guns. The grouse don’t stand a chance, as it is basically a massacre. Many will not be killed outright, but will be shot and wounded before hurtling to the ground where they will lie maimed, suffering and terrified.

What is the League doing to protect grouse?

We are calling for a ban of shooting birds for sport as we believe the massive loss of life does not justify the existence of what is basically a hobby

The League jointly launched a government petition in 2016 with Dr Mark Avery and Chris Packham calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting. Due a great deal to our supporters, the petition easily passed the 100,000 signature mark which triggered a debate in Parliament.

The debate highlighted how much support there is for shooting among MPs, so we shall continue to educate politicians and the public as to the cruelty and environmental damage connected to this sport.

Our campaigns to protect red grouse have included the Inglorious Menu, which highlights how many other birds and animals are killed simply to get a grouse on the menu at a restaurant. These include animals caught in snares and birds of prey shot to stop them from killing the grouse.

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As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment in Spain, Portugal, France, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.